


Convince Myself

by NobleBeast



Category: Kuroko no Basuke, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-02-07 09:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1893324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NobleBeast/pseuds/NobleBeast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Depicting the budding of their relationship from unrequited rivals to friends and on to something more. Midorima has always stopped at nothing to achieve what he sets his mind too - that is, once he's convinced it's what he wants.</p><p>100 Theme Challenge. Midorima's POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the true pity of humanity to never realize the beginnings of something grand.

Desperate footsteps chased after him. The point guard he assumed, he didn’t bother glancing back. With Aomine not bothering to show up, Kise out on a photo shoot, and Murasakibara refusing to move past their own basket, he and Akashi were left to pick up the pieces. Still, the game wasn’t close, not nearly. His three pointers destroyed any hope of a comeback. They put three guards on him and he broke through each and every one of them. Only one stayed on his heels. He couldn’t catch up.

When the ball broke through their ranks again surprise no longer registered on their faces. They simply reacted leaving the _how_ and _why_ of it alone to focus on the _now_. It sped up their reaction time but in the end it didn't change anything.

Kuroko passed him the ball, he caught it mid-air and transitioned into an easy crouch. The fluid motion sent a bolt of fear through the opposing team; all except for one. He ignored the hint of desperation charging down on him. It didn't matter. He couldn't stop him. Green eyes focused on the basket meters ahead. When the ball left his hands in a stunning arch the steps behind him faltered in anguish. The seconds that ticked by as the ball flew through the air left nothing but calamity in their wake. It drove through the basket, barely disturbing the net as it slammed on the court followed by a loud buzzer.

Game over.

Midorima straightened up and followed Akashi off the court. He didn’t look back. There was no reason too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Midorima never realized he faced Takao in middle school, let alone left such a deep impression. For this reason, and the fact that the piece is set in Midorima's POV, Takao's presence is referred to in vague terms.


	2. Spell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The spell of a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To celebrate Midorima's Birthday, I'll be posting two chapters. This one and the next. 
> 
> Happy Birthday Shintarou!

“Shin- _chan_ ~”

The sing-song voice cut through the crowd of students. Curious faces looked up in time to see Takao jog up to -  _Oh my. Wasn’t he huge?_ \- Midorima.

“Found you.”

Midorima ignored him and kept walking, paying no heed to the whispers that followed their steps.

“Hey, Shin-chan. Where ar—”

“Midorima.” He corrected.

A smirk. “I know.”

The response earned Takao a narrowed glance. Displeasure coated his features, as he stared back at the all too familiar smile that had begun to irritate him since the first day of class.

 

* * *

 

_“_ _Takao Kazunari. Nice to meet you. Mind if I sit here?” His new classmate pointed at the desk beside him. Midorima stared at him with a grim face, clearly not taken with the idea._

_“There are other seats you−−_

_“−−Hey! What’s that?” He completely cut him off, and leaned down to better gawk at the item in his bandaged hand._

_Midorima pushed up his glasses, his patience thinning. “It’s a perfume bottle.”_

_A mischievous smile slowly spread across those lips, and before he knew it, silver eyes locked onto his. “Really now?”_

_The knowing look he was greeted with caught him off guard but no more than the way the boy slid into the empty seat beside him. He frowned at the action, which had the smile growing in turn._

 

* * *

 

Midorima brusquely dismissed the memory. If he’d known how much of a pest his classmate would be, he’d have moved seats immediately. He picked up his stride, forcing Takao to pick up his pace or be left behind. He exited the building and walked out into a small courtyard that boasted an old sakura tree at its center. To his dismay, Takao cheerfully followed him out with his hands tucked in pockets. He’d been doing this - following him - for a while now, and it was beginning to vex him.

“It’s nice out here. I can see why you like it.” Takao looked around, taking in the sight as he sat down on the bench, splaying out his hands on the polished stone. He leaned back in a lazy posture and looked at him with cheerful eyes. “I know, we should eat here with the rest of team. What do you think?”

No response.

“Well, if you like the idea so much, I’ll let Ootsubo-senpai know to dock one of your three requests tomorrow. We can even ask Miyaji-senpai to bring some extra treats for us!”

Midorima didn’t rise to the bait and simply set his bento box neatly in front of him. He would, of course, make sure everyone understood the fool did not speak for him.

“What did you bring today, Shin-chan?”

He opened the box, setting the top underneath it. “You’re not welcome here.”

A blunt response meant to stifle any further inquiries from his teammate. It was better to halt whatever the idiot intended with his constant loitering, than to allow it to go further than it already had. He didn’t like sharing his lunch hour, let alone his food. And he  _knew_ , for a fact, that Takao brought his lunch every day. Yet, more often than not, he ended up picking off _his_ instead!

He’d tried to put a stop to it plenty of times, but Takao hardly paid heed to his rebuttals. It was becoming commonplace to spend his lunch hour snapping at the fool for his audacity. But then, Takao would smile at him without reserve, and he found his temper begin to dwindle until it slowly dissipated.

It was like a spell - that smile. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, how much he fought against its effects, in the end it etched away at his will, little by little, until he was forced to tolerate the intrusion. He didn’t like it. The way he kept worming his way into his schedule, the way he trailed his every step. All of it.

He didn’t like it.

Green eyes narrowed, angry with himself for allowing anyone to have that effect on him. His gaze stayed on the open bento box. He didn’t look at Takao, determined to make his stand this time. He’d make sure the fool finally understood he didn’t want him there.

Takao was silent after that. More so than usual, and however much he wanted to glance up at him he didn’t. He hoped he’d get up and make his exit soon. But, much to his dismay, instead of leaving Takao leaned closer to him. He turned to question him when all of a sudden the idiot nabbed one of his pickled plums and tossed it in his mouth.

“ **Takao!** ”

The gall of the fool!

The smaller boy tried to hold back the impending chuckle behind two hands, but his efforts failed miserably, and to Midorima’s eternal annoyance, he broke out in peals of laughter. He clutched at his stomach, pointing at him and -  _That face!_

Midorima glared at him, wishing him a painful death by plum before smacking him for touching his food with dirty fingers, and threw him a bottle of antibacterial hand gel which hit him square in the chest.

“ _Wash your hands before touching it_.”

Takao wiped away the tears of laughter and proceeded to use the cleanser before snatching another plum from the box. Midorima ended up sharing his bento with him - again. However, he did insist he stop picking at it with his fingers - _Like some heathen!_ \- and ended up giving him an extra pair of chopsticks he happened to have with him that day. 

Later, when the bell rang, it caught Midorima off guard. He’d been busy lecturing Takao on proper eating etiquette when the sound broke him out of his tirade. By then, the pair had eaten most of the bento that had enough food for two teenage boys - another coincidence Midorima assured him when Takao pointed it out.

Takao was the first to move. He thanked him for the meal and helped him clean up. When he was done, he took a moment to stretch out his limbs before picking up his pack that carried an untouched lunchbox inside.

“Time for class, Shin-chan.”

Midorima stood as well, a frown clear on his lips.

“Ah, don’t act so disappointed. We’ll still see each other in class.”

“— _Don’t_ _be a fool!_  Why would I be disappointed about that!” He fumed at him, and Takao laughed, grinning as he side stepped behind him and jogged to the door.

“If we’re late I’m telling the teacher it’s your fault for being a chatter box.”

He all but choked at that, and Takao smartly hurried inside. His laughter echoed in the courtyard dying out slowly as Midorima quickly grabbed his own pack.

_Fool._

By the time he made it back to class the tardy bell had just rung which made it all the more poignant when he opened the door to the classroom.  

“--wouldn't shut up and just kept talking about proper eating habits.” Takao threw him a mischievous look. “If I hadn't escaped I'd be as late as him!”

“…….”

Green eyes narrowed on him, but Midorima wisely kept himself in check. He excused himself and walked to his seat without another word. By the time he slid back in his seat the teacher had already called everyone to attention and began the lesson. Beside him, Takao leaned down on his desk, pillowing his head on his crossed arms. Silver eyes locked on him, ignoring the lesson up front.

“I ran into Ootsubo-senpai on the way here. I told him about your lunch idea.” Bandaged fingers clenched around a sharp pencil. “He said he’d honor your request but you’d have to wait till next week when his meetings with the coach are over.” The pencil cracked and Takao’s smile grew. “What do you think, Shin-chan?”

That day the two of them had to stay after school to clean up the chalkboard as punishment for the ruckus they caused in class after Midorima stood up and yelled at Takao, while the latter laughed himself to the ground desk and all. The loud crash earned him his own detention ticket for at least a week along with Midorima. Ootsubo wasn’t happy to hear that their Freshmen duo were causing trouble in class, but he was even more upset the detention cut into their practice time. As punishment, he made the pair run a brutal twenty laps  on top of their regular practice.

  
Takao never once lost his smile during their detention, his grin as wide as ever, a fact that had Midorima cursing him and his damn smile, but even more, at himself for not feeling even an ounce of genuine anger towards the fool. He really was cursed.


	3. Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The woods will frame the face of your humanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To celebrate Midorima's Birthday, I'll be posting two chapters. This one and the previous.
> 
> Happy Birthday Shintarou!

"If you’re going to complain then I suggest you take your leave."

"Ah. Come on, Shin-chan. It’s only a question." Takao nudged him on the shoulder which had green eyes narrowing on him.

"I told you already." He pushed up his spectacles. "Today’s lucky item is a place."

"I know, I know. A temple. But why are we going to  _this_  temple?”

Mute irritation stiffened his shoulders. Why this temple? It was obvious of course!

“ _This_  temple is the oldest one in Tokyo. It’s the only acceptable—”

"— _It’s_ in the middle of the woods!” Takao cut in.

His lips thinned. “It’s at the edge of the city not the middle of the woods.” 

For the fifth time that day, Midorima reproached Cancer’s 10th standing. Had he been ranked higher, surely he would not have come across a jogging Takao that morning, let alone had the ingenious foresight to tell him of his destination.

 

* * *

 

_"Do you think I’d skip my morning run for some mediocre reason?”_

_Takao cocked his head. “You run in the mornings?”_

_Midorima huffed, looking annoyed. “It’s only logical to keep my stamina up on days we don’t attend practice.”_

_“How come I never ran into you?” They didn’t live all that far apart, so it was only natural that they would have come across each other at least once by now. A thought Takao was keenly thinking over before a large grin plastered itself on his face. “Don’t tell me you use a treadmill at home?”_

_Midorima sharply looked away, folding his arms across his chest. “My parents have forbidden it.”_

_“What?! Forbidden it?!” The look Takao gave him was a mix between hilarity and surprise, though hilarity won out in the end, and to his irritation Takao broke out in peals of laughter._

_Midorima gave him a stern look, clearly not finding the humor in it. “Apparently, 6:30 in the morning is too early to use such loud equipment.” He adjusted his glasses, clearly not pleased with the verdict at home._

_“What! Are you crazy?!” Takao gave him a grave look as if he’d never heard of such an ungodly hour on a Saturday morning._

_“6 o’clock is exactly 8 hours from my bedtime, which is the recommended—-”_

_“—-Wait. Wait, wait.” Takao put out his hands. “YOU have a BEDTIME?!”_

_Another chortle of laughter followed those words, and this time it was a painful stitch in the idiot’s side that finally had him quieting down._

_Midorima felt grim satisfaction toward his dilemma, but not enough to alleviate his foul mood. He was already late when he ran into him and now he’d be even later. At this rate, he’d have to share the temple with other so called ‘early risers’. The thought had him continuing on his way, dismissing Takao while the idiot kneaded his side. However, he took no more than five steps before Takao jogged up to him and matched his steps._

_He stopped._

_“What are you doing?”_

_Takao looked at him, bright smile in place. “If Shin-chan can slack off, so can I.”_

 

* * *

 

The argument had commenced from there, and to his eternal annoyance, Midorima found himself with an unlikely companion when he failed to dissuade him from his ridiculous notion. Takao, on his end, made further small talk while they made a brusque journey to the shrine. Midorima only tolerated his loud endeavors till they reached the stone path leading up to the old structure before going silent. Eventually, Takao got the hint and quieted down too which made the trip slightly amicable.

When they reached the top, Midorima was pleased to find the shrine free of other visitors. Unlike the ostentatious temples within the heart of the city, this one was simple in design. A sturdy relic that stood quietly in a wooded area, surrounded by the soothing sounds of nature. Aside from it’s formal heritage, it suited his tastes much more than the overly stylized, and often frequented temples of the city.

Without preamble, he walked inside, and Takao followed him in without complaint. They had the temple to themselves for almost an hour before those early risers started trickling in. When that happened, he was ready to take his leave, convinced that an hour’s time was more than enough to make up for his atrocious luck.

Ready to go, he turned to his silent companion, but to his surprise Takao was already looking his way with an intent look in his eyes. His brows furrowed, and he looked behind him to see what he was staring at only to be greeted with an empty wall. When he turned to question him, Takao was already standing, letting an older couple take his spot within the shrine. Midorima dismissed the strange moment, and followed suit, exiting with him.

Their walk down the path proved to be louder than their climb up. Children ran up the stone path followed quickly by stern reprimands from their parents. One such child was a little girl who not listening to her mother’s warning ran straight into them. As expected, she  fell back on her pretty dress, an action that had Takao immediately at her side while her bottom lip quivered and her eyes shone with unshed tears.  

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Takao rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a candy bar he’d stuffed in there that morning. “Here. You like candy don’t you?”

Before the girl - who had begun to blink back the tears at the offered candy - could reach for it, the bar was sharply slapped away by Midorima who looked all but outraged at the offer. Stunned, Takao gawked at him as the girl’s tears renewed with vigor.

Seeing that Takao rounded on him. “What are you doing! She’s going to start crying—”

“You can’t offer a stranger’s child sweets!” Midorima all but reprimanded, looking appalled. “People are going to think you’re trying to kidnap her!”

The accusation left Takao completely flabbergasted which was exactly how Midorima left him without another word. He walked to the edge of the path where a small camellia tree grew and plucked a white flower with expert ease. With more confidence than anyone had the right to have, he presented the camellia to the young girl whose eyes no longer sported the threat of tears. The offered blossom had her blinking up at him before her pretty eyes darted up to Takao who was just as confused as she was but nodded nonetheless.

Confirmation in hand, her little hands slowly reached for the camellia. When she had it in her delicate grasp she looked back up at Midorima who now offered her his hand. This time she didn’t need confirmation and trustingly took it, letting him pull her back onto her feet. He dusted off her dress and warned her about running around slippery paths.

If she heard him, he could hardly tell what with the way she kept putting her nose in the petals and giggling at the smell. When her parents reached them they apologized for their daughter before taking their leave with a happy little girl wedged between them.

“Ah, Shin-chan. I didn’t know you were such a romantic.” Takao grinned as he watched the little girl skip along with her parents while clutching the camellia to her chest.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”  He pushed up his spectacles, dismissing the subject. “I’m not the fool who tried to kidnap her in front of everyone,” he all but accused which had Takao defending his honorable intentions and successfully turning the subject away from him.

When they finally reached his house, Takao thanked him for the fun day at the woods to which Midorima insisted was certainly not the woods. In the end, Takao let him have the last word on it before turning to head home.

“Have a good day, Shin-chan,” he waved good-bye before jogging up the sidewalk. Shintarou followed suit walking up the path to his front door. He was turning the handle when he heard Takao’s parting words, barely an echo from the distance.

“See you tomorrow at 6:30!”

He instantly did a double take. “ **What!** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Takao is good with children, Midorima also has his own quiet (if a bit formal) charm with them. After all, Takao isn’t the only one who caters to a little sister. Also, the last pun - Midorima jogs at 6:30 am on the weekends. Apparently, Takao has invited himself to these morning runs. And the reason they’ve missed each other for so long is because Takao takes his morning runs at a more decent (later) time.


	4. Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your shadow will always point you toward the light.

With a loud thud, the double doors suddenly opened and Takao strode inside the gym with his signature smile in place.

“Hey, Shin-chan. How long are you going to stay here?”

From his spot on the center line Midorima made no sign of hearing him and jumped up making another impeccable shot while ignoring the rude interruption. Only when the ball fell through the net with perfect ease did he turn around to face him.

“As long as it takes.” He pushed up his glasses, eying him suspiciously behind dark frames.

Takao rolled his eyes. “I mean, how many more shots are you going to make?”

He shifted his gaze long enough to count the balls in the cart. “Twelve.”

Smiling, Takao dropped his bag on the bleachers and walked onto to the court with his hands in his pockets. “Go ahead then. I’ll start picking up the rest of these while you finish.”

He didn’t budge. This was the third time this week. The first night, he’d brushed aside his off-hand excuse about forgetting something in his locker and thought nothing of it. The second, he’d been suspicious and even questioned him further on the matter which had Takao teasing him as if he was the one out of line. But _this_! Three nights in a row? He wasn’t stupid!

“What are you doing here.” A demand more than a question.

Takao shot one of the balls into the empty cart and smiled ruefully when it landed inside. “Forgot today’s homework,” was his nonchalant answer.

“The same way you forgot your notes yesterday, and your book the day before?!” he questioned, approaching him with determined strides.

“You’re keeping track of me, Shin-chan? I’m flattered.”

“Of course I’m keeping track! What kind of gullible idiot do you take me for!” By now, he was standing before him, a formidable figure.

Takao put his hands out in appeasement. “Okay. Okay. I know it looks bad, but I really did forget it.”

He didn’t budge, and Takao squirmed under his shadow.

“.... It might have been on purpose...the last time… too?” He chanced a look at him and quickly backed up a step before he got smacked by a none too pleased Midorima.

“-- _But_ I wasn’t lying the first time!” He put in. “I really did forget my math book that time! And then I saw you shooting here all alone, so I thought I’d... keep you company.”

“..........”

“What! Don’t give me that face! You should be happy you don’t have to walk home alone!”

“Like I need someone to walk me home! I’m not a child!”

Takao’s smile grew even as his glare intensified at the sight.

“Don’t be so mean, Shin-chan. Besides,” he looked off to the side, his eyes landing on the scattered balls near the basket. “I see you working so hard and I feel like I’ll never catch up if I don’t work twice as much.” He picked up another ball, ignoring the towering figure in front of him. “I won’t make up excuses anymore, so finish up your set, Shin-chan.”

Midorima stood stiff as a board, unable to come up with a proper retort. What was he supposed to say to that anyways?! He wouldn’t even meet his eyes! And, _who_ even admitted to something like that! He turned away, muttering something about idiot fools before returning to his shooting. That was the problem with Takao. When he was serious he had no idea how to handle him. If he was joking, he could easily dismiss his idiotic ideas without a second thought, but when he was like this… somehow, it wasn’t so easy.

By the time he finished his shots, Takao was already putting away a cart full of basketballs before returning to help him with the rest. It took surprisingly little time to clean up between the two of them, even with Takao’s unwarranted snickers that echoed through the gym filling up the emptiness. When they were done, he headed to the lockers for a much needed shower leaving his teammate to his own devices. It wasn’t long before he stepped back out with his own gym bag strapped to his shoulder. He spotted Takao on the bleachers listening to music over a pair of large headphones. He watched him in silence, turning over his presence in his mind. He was the one who complained the loudest about their brutal practice sessions, so what was he doing here hours after it had ended? For all common sense, he should have been at home instead of passing the time listening to music as he waited for him to finish his shower. He didn’t understand his motivation at all. Sighing to himself, Midorima headed over to his unwanted companion.

Takao suddenly blinked up when a shadow cast over him. He slid off his headphones and let them hang around his neck. “Ready to go?” he asked.

Midorima merely nodded at the question before heading out. With a smile in place, Takao pushed himself to his feet and pulled his gym bag over his shoulder. After making sure the room was locked up, the pair walked home in quiet solitude, that is, until Takao started rambling about whatever nonsense had happened that day. Midorima , for his part, was used to this by now and listened quietly giving a minimal amount of pointed responses here and there to show he was paying attention. The rest of their trek was spent in this format until Takao suddenly stopped in his tracks and eagerly pointed up at the sky.

"Look Shin-chan! A shooting star! Come on, let’s make a wish!"

Midorima watched as his companion promptly closed his eyes to make a quick wish, and soon followed suit lest he be denied the celestial blessing.

When he was done, Takao turned to him with excited eyes. "What did you wish for?"

“A wish becomes null if you reveal it out loud,” he told him matter-of-factly, while two long fingers pushed his glasses further up his nose.

"Aw! Come on! You can tell me, I won’t tell anyone! Promise!”

Midorima folded his hands across his chest, not at all moved by the boisterous plead. Not to be dissuaded so easily, Takao slipped up next to him to nudge him on the side, and in a conspiratorial tone whispered - "What if I use mine to wish for yours?"

Green eyes sharply pinned him down. "Don't be preposterous. You can’t do that."

"Why not?"

"That’s against the rules!”

“Why?”

Frustrated, Midorima dropped his arms to fully face him. “Because it’s cheating and I won’t be a part of it!” He took off, long strides taking him ever closer to his home and away from the fool.

_Preposterous. Use his wish for me. What kind of idiot does he think I am?!_

Takao smiled and quickly pulled up beside him. He put his hands behind his head and looked up at him nonchalantly. “It’s not cheating you know.”

Midorima stayed silent and kept looking straight ahead.

Beside him, Takao sighed. “You said it yourself. It won’t come true if you say it out loud. So, yes, your wish won’t come true, but if I use mine to wish for yours, then there’s no problem.”

His mouth twitched with irritation. Why did that even make sense to him?! _Damn him!_

He refused to answer that ridiculous point, so the silence continued. Usually Takao couldn’t last more than a few minutes without breaking it with a some form of chatter, but this time he kept his stance while dark eyes the color of the night sky continually glanced up at him waiting for a response.

“And I’m just supposed to trust that you’ll keep your word?” he finally weighed in after some time.

Takao wisely hid the smile that threatened to spill across his cheeks. “You don’t trust me?”

“I have no reason to trust you.”

“That hurts, Shin-chan,” he whined though it died down immediately. “You trusts my passes don’t you?”

“That’s a different matter. You’re working for the good of the team not for me individually.”

Takao could tell this was going to take some convincing. “Don’t you think that having Shin-chan’s wish come true will benefit the team?”

Midorima turned that thought over in his head. “Wouldn’t the same be true if your wish comes true too? There’s no reason to waste it on me.”

“It’s not a waste.” He looked up at him. “I’d be making my own wish come true.”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I want to be the reason for Shin-chan's success."

Midorima instantly spluttered and quickly turned away. "Don't say such stupid things." He told him harshly even as color crept up his neck.

"Ah, Shin-chan is so cute." An echo of laughter followed behind him, which had taped fingers tightening around the long strap of his gym bag before he took off with every intention of leaving the fool behind.

“Don’t be so mean, Shin-chan!”

Midorima further picked up his pace and lengthened his stride until Takao yelled at him to wait up before jogging after him to catch up. By the time they reached his home, Takao was out of breath and had to bend down to take in lungfuls of air.

"You're as bad as Ootsubo-senpai!"

"You wouldn't be out of breath if you were in better shape." He pointed out, which only served to turn up the volume of Takao’s complaints.

Standing in front of his house, Midorima stiffly nodded at his companion and uttered a formal good-night which had Takao bursting into a fit of laughter.

"You make it sound--” _wheeze_ \-- “like I'm dropping you off--” _wheeze_ \-- “from a date!"

He instantly rounded on him rebutting that vehemently which had Takao holding his stomach as another chorus of laughter echoed across the empty street. All in all, a scene that was becoming all too familiar late at night.

Cursing him to a year’s worth of bad luck, Midorima wrenched open the gate before he had to suffer another second of Takao’s infernal teasing. What in the world had ever made him think this was a good idea! Usually he would walk home alone with only the streetlights as guideposts. It took him a while to get home, but at least it was a nice walk - nothing like this!

"Hey, Shin-chan."

He stiffened in place, but did not look back.

"So, what was your wish?”

Slowly his shoulders relaxed, and he turned to look at him.

"............”

The sincere look he glimpsed in the shadow of the light kept him silent for a long time. He didn’t understanding why he even cared, let alone why he was insisting on the matter. Over the years, Midorima had found it was easier to keep to himself rather than waste his time on people he had no desire to speak to, yet here was his new teammate. From the beginning, he’d been a constant nuisance storming into his life like a howling wind, yet bending to his will before he overstepped his reach. He didn’t understand him. He worked harder than most during practice aiming like everyone else for a spot on the first string, so why was he wasting his time with this? What was _this_ anyway? Midorima had no answer.

He stared back at him. He didn’t like not knowing. “You’ve already wasted your wish Takao.”

A sly smiled crept across those boyish features capturing his eyes with a knowing look. “So, that’s how it’s going to be.”

His brows furrowed at that comment. What was he talking about? Before he could question him, Takao bade him good-night before setting off.

“I’ll see you tomorrow after practice.” He waved at him from across the street.

“What! You can’t just invite yourself--”

Suddenly, light flooded his vision and he heard his front door open behind him. He quickly closed his mouth before being scolded for disturbing the neighbors in the middle of the night. Muttering to himself about incessant fools Midorima stomped inside not at all noting the light-hearted feeling that swept through him now that he had someone to light the dark road home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oddly enough, I ended up writing this as a prequel to the next chapter.
> 
> Also, thank you for the comments. Maybe I should learn how to respond to them instead of staring at them and spacing out.


End file.
